Interview: Sandy Sowell

How long have you been living in Charleston, and why did you decide to settle in this city?

I came to the Charleston area in 1974 with musician/songwriter, Ron Sowell to visit friends living in the country outside Hurricane. Though we planned to just stay for the summer (we were young and footloose), we fell in love with the area and decided to stay. We formed a band called the Putnam County Pickers and gigs came very easily for this band. Why would we leave?? It was beautiful here.

How do you find the general vibe of Charleston?

We love that Charleston is the capital city of the state yet it has that small-town/home-town feel.

Which season is Charleston at its best?

I love the autumn in Charleston. Since there is much diversity in the hardwoods, the color combinations are interesting and vibrant. The color change lasts several weeks so I always know that when I am in the city in September/October that I will see some color change.

What do you think is Charleston’s biggest attraction?

FestivALL is becoming my favorite event in the city. It lasts more than a week and you can always know that something interesting and fun will be happening. The events are placed all over the city but my favorite is the street fair and live music down Capitol St.

How would you describe Charleston to someone who hasn’t been here before?

It is a culturally interesting city with a river that runs through it.

The Clay Center, the Capitol Grounds, a walk down Capitol Street, Mountain Stage if it is “in town”.

What are the absolute must-try’s for every visitor in Charleston?

Everyone just HAS to go to Tudor’s Biscuit World. Everything you can imagine on a biscuit. It is a concept.

What are the cheap thrills that you can enjoy in Charleston?

I love to sit by the river anywhere along the boulevard. Haddad Riverfront Park is an amazing venue to watch bands especially in the summer with a lovely view of the river.

The person behind Sandy Sowell Entertainment is based near Charleston, WV and perform, primarily, audience-participation shows. Sandy have been in the entertainment business here in West Virginia for 35 years. She specialized in corporate “after dinner” events and the goal of each show is to help people get to know each other a little better in a well rehearsed and fun environment. Sandy’s shows include Karaoke, Sandy’s Fabulous Feud, Jeoparty, Game Show Mania, a Horse Racin’ Game and several other interactive shows. Her latest addition is a software based support service. It is a 150 keypad audience response system (ARS) designed to assist in electronic audience polling for community decision making events. Her web site is www.sandysowell.com.